Regents to vote on possible tuition increase at NMSU

New Mexico State University students may have to hand over more money starting next fall. The NMSU board of regents will vote on a possible tuition increase Monday. But whether or not an increase happens, there will still be a significant hit to the school’s budget.

Here’s what regents will vote on: If they choose not to raise tuition, the university will cut 6.3% from the its budget which equals $10.6 million. At a 2% tuition increase, they’ll cut $8.7 million, and at a 4% increase, the school will cut $7.4 million from its budget.

On Monday, NMSU officials couldn’t say which programs may or may not be affected, but university leaders are starting the evaluation process. They also couldn’t say if cuts to athletics were possible, but added they’ve faced budget cuts in the past.

Officials say the possible tuition increase will be tacked on to how much a student pays per credit hour.

In a workshop last month, regents said a low retention rate and a decrease in state funding is what’s prompting Monday’s vote.

The meeting starts at 3 p.m. Our New Mexico Mobile Newsroom will be there and update this story as we get more information.